Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Which makes me think of pizza. Some people eat pizza once a week a month or maybe a day? I LOVE pizza. I also really miss pizza. Sorry Arizona, but since residing here we haven't found one that quite lives up to my New York memories of getting a slice around the corner at Sal's. And yes I have had pizza for breakfast.

On our last trip to Italy, our exuberant guide Sara wisely
expressed that to get the very best pizza make sure that it is made by a
Neapolitan PIZZAIOLO (the pizza maker).

Which brings me back to
the tomato where it all started...

In the early 1500's, tomatoes were introduced from the New World to Europe. This strange fruit (or vegetable according to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1893) was met with disdain and rumored to be poisonous.In Naples,
the poor only had olive oil, flour cheese, herbs and lard to sustain their
hunger. Perhaps out of this hunger they were driven with bravery to take the
demonized pomodoro and create the first tomato sauce pizza. It didn't take long
for it to become a hit.

So popular that when the
King and Queen of Italy were vacationing in Naples they
requested a pizzaiola to come at once. Not only was the Margherita pizza born
(named after the Queen herself) but perhaps even the first pizza delivery?